It is strange to consider that Carrick's contribution to Scotland's National War Memorial might not have happened. He was never part of Sir Robert Lorimer's inner circle and despite being one of the nation's foremost monumental sculptors and war veteran having served in the Royal Garrison Artillery he was initially not invited to contribute, not even to the Artillery memorial. He only first became involved through his former pupil Phyllis Bone who was working on the external niches and asked Carrick to carve the figures of 'Justice' and 'Courage'. There was then apparently some kind of problem with the work of one of the other artists and Carrick was called in at the eleventh hour to execute the panels for the Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery in the East Chapel. The fact that these works were conceived and created in such a short time span was a remarkable achievement.

Carrick had already executed the figures of 'Justice Guiding Valour' for the Fraserburgh war memorial. He would later execute the bronze of Sir William Wallace, not dissimilar to 'Valour', for the castle entrance; and a seated figure of Justioce for the High Court pediment on the Royal Mile.